Things I Miss About Football....

Part 2....Players Celebrating Goals (OTT)

It has been said by many a man that scoring a goal is better than sex. Whether this is actually true I personally am not too sure, but I think that the feeling of scoring a goal is pretty much unparalleled in world sport. And for years, everyone knew that footballers felt this way. In recent years, and I am talking mainly about the 90s, a player smashing the ball into the net would result in the team indulging in a veritable orgy of fist pumping, kissing, and general madness. This would often result in the team then conceding a goal straight from kick off as they wallowed in this moment, before realising that there was still a game going on.

However, it seems to me that players these days seem to be taking things a bit calmer when they score goals, often to the point where I wonder if the players had actually missed the chance rather than having dispatched it in the onion bag. Too often putting the ball into the net has been replaced with players celebrating with a modest handshake, a tap on the shoulder or waving to their mum in the crowd. And the ones that really grate are players that cannot even muster smile. SHAME ON YOU

For me this is unacceptable. Players these days seem to be hammered by the fans for not caring, for doing it for "the money". What better way would there be for players to deal a retort to this by actually celebrating in an over the top manner when they score? I long for the days when players such as Filipo Inzaghi would score a one yard tap in with his backside in a mid-table game and then wheel away to the half way line as he if he had just scored the winner in the World Cup Final. Over the top? Yes. Entertaining? Most certainly

There is an argument that players are more careful because they might get booked by the referee which is a fair point but I get totally pi$$ed off when I see players such as the fake Ronaldo celebrating a goal by strutting or pouting. Even the passionate Wayne Rooney seems to fall into this trap from time to time. The guy slammed in a hat trick against Arsenal this year then celebrated by just hugging a team mate. Some may this was respectful to the Arsenal fans but I could not give a monkeys! I would rather he went to the Arsenal fans on his knees and cupped his ears, perhaps in the style of Adebayor for Manchester City.

Anyway, here are a couple of videos to remind players of how goals should be celebrated. These are a couple of all my time favourites. You try telling these players that scoring isn't the best feeling in the world

Sunil